1) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to land vehicles, and more particularly, to modular land vehicles.
2) Description of the Prior Art
The major elements of an automobile include: a chassis; a drive train; a motor or engine; running gear; and a body. The body generally includes an enclosed cab from which an operator sits and operates the automobile. The motor or engine is used to convert a source of energy (such as electric power stored in batteries, or fuel stored in a tank) to mechanical rotation. The drive train applies the newly generated mechanical rotation of the engine to the wheels of the automobile, through a transmission which effectively controls the rotational speed and power reaching the wheels. The running gear includes brakes, suspension, wheels and wheel bearings, and a steering assembly. The chassis supports all of the components of the automobile and is generally made from a variety of pre-shaped panels welded together and further welded to structurally rigid members. Although a particular chassis may be designed to fit any of several models of automobiles of a particular make (such as a Ford light-pickup truck chassis may also be used with a Ford sedan and perhaps even a Ford sports car model) the chassis itself is not intended to be modified or adjusted after a particular manufactured automobile is complete. Even during the construction of a particular automobile, the chassis may not be altered from its original design to accommodate any of a variety of custom applications, typically desired by a customer. Instead of an automobile being built around the requirements of a customer, the customer must conform his or her needs to a particular automobile that has already been designed and built.
The automotive industry has recognized that not all automobiles they design will satisfy every customer and has made attempts to offer "fine-tuning" of pre-designed models through optional equipment wherein a customer may choose among specific ancillary items of a particular automobile, such as the inclusion of a radio, a cassette player, air-conditioning, power locks, and power windows. Unfortunately, such optional equipment does not include modifications of any of the major elements of the automobile and therefore, it is likely that the customer will not receive a vehicle that sufficiently meets his or her needs.
U.S. Pat. Nos: 3,874,472; 4,422,685; 4,900,083; 5,129,700; 4,968,087; 5,213,386; and 4,842,326 disclose land vehicles that include modular elements and electrically powered motors. These patents are hereby incorporated by reference.
Apart from the problems associated with the lack of modularity of commercially available automobiles, the automobiles of the prior art suffer the following problems:
a) They are expensive to manufacture; PA1 b) They include very complex operating systems and components; PA1 c) They require a tremendous amount of resources to produce; PA1 d) They accommodate and benefit the people of primarily developed countries; PA1 e) They include manufacturing procedures that are inflexible and incapable of meeting the specific needs of the customer; and PA1 f) They cannot be easily modified or adapted to meet the specific needs of the customer or operating environment.
It is an object of the invention to provide a modular automobile whose major components may be exchanged and adjusted on a per-car basis to accommodate the specific requirements of a customer.
It is another object of the invention to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a chassis that may be easily adjusted during and after the manufacture of a particular automobile.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a variety of different types of land vehicles using readily interchangeable and relatively adjustable components.
It is another object of the invention to provide an inexpensive land vehicle that is easy to manufacture, easy to repair, and readily adaptable to a variety of operating environments.